


Upping the Ante

by junko



Series: Written in the Scars (of Our Hearts) [23]
Category: Bleach
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-08
Updated: 2013-09-08
Packaged: 2017-12-25 23:02:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/958645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/junko/pseuds/junko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Renji decided he was 'all in' with Byakuya, but what if the stakes were raised?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Upping the Ante

Even though Byakuya had retracted from their reiatsu hug several moments ago, Renji held on just a little longer. 

His eyes shut, Renji’s chin rested against Byakuya’s shoulder. Beneath his touch, Renji could feel Byakuya starting to tense, but Renji just wanted a few seconds more of silky hair against his cheek and the warmth of a body curved against his own. He breathed in deeply, taking in the intimate scent of jasmine and musk. They were going to have to say good-bye today and Renji wasn’t ready.

“I need to get dressed,” Byakuya said with a little huff.

It made Renji smile to hear the combination of irritation and regret in that little breath of Byakuya’s. Renji loosened his arms and let Byakuya slip from him. Renji tried not to let the feeling of emptiness bother him. 

Renji hated letting go. 

So, without really thinking about it, he quietly said the thing he always regretted not saying: “I love you.”

It was a blessing he’d meant to give Rukia, all those years ago. But it would have sounded clingy, like he was begging her to stay. Plus, he’d been afraid of robbing her of the strength to go; afraid she’s stay out of pity.

When Renji opened his eyes he was surprised to find that Byakuya had stopped at the entry to the bedroom and had turned to look at him, one hand gripping the archway. Emotion played in the slight shifts of Byakuya’s expression.

Renji stifled a curse. 

Byakuya wasn’t supposed to have heard that. Was this going to be like the last day of the Hanami all over again--a nice weekend date screwed up by an impulsive declaration?

This was why it was better not to say anything.

Tugging on the end of his braid, Renji said, “Uh, that was sort supposed to just be for me. What I mean is, you don’t got to say anything back. I just… you know, I don’t know when I’ll see you again, and, uh—well, the Arrancar haven’t returned, but those bastards are tough and, I guess it’d suck if the only time I ever said it was when you really didn’t want to hear—“

“I love you, too. Very much,” Byakuya interrupted bluntly. He turned his face away, “But, you will come back from all your battles. I forbid you fail, Renji Abarai.”

It was cute how fierce Byakuya sounded about it, as if he really believed he could order Renji not to die. Renji gave Byakuya a crooked smile and a curt bow and said seriously, “Hai, Taicho.”

His face still turned away slightly, Byakuya stood there for another second. Renji sensed that there was something else Byakuya wanted to say, but apparently couldn’t find the right words. Eventually, he seemed to give up and turned back to the bedroom.

“Hey,” Renji called as he started stacking up the empty breakfast containers and generally picking up the hotel suite, “Would you wear the purple shirt for me?”

“Have you been going through my closet?”

“Uh…” Cripes, why did Byakuya’s question make Renji blush and make him sound like some kind of pervert? Over his shoulder he shouted, “I was just looking for a new… uh, fuck it, yeah, I guess I was.” He grunted. Screw feeling stupid about it; he’d only noticed the shirt because he’d been cleaning up after sex, for crying out loud! It’s not like they weren’t intimate. “Just put it on, will you? You’d look hot in it.”

There was shuffling from the other room and the sound of wire hangers scraping on the metal hanging rod. Finally, there was an accepting, if a bit baffled: “Very well.”

#

Renji had stacked everything up neatly and was just considering switching on the TV when Byakuya came out of the bedroom. One arm slung over the couch, Renji turned to look at him. 

Oh. Hot damn.

The dark purple shirt really did look good on Byakuya. The silk clung to all the right places, accenting broad shoulders and slender waist. Normally, Byakuya’s physique was hidden by layers of shihakushô and haori. Now, all the slender, powerful lines were obvious and, in a way, on display. Plus, Renji just could not get over Byakuya in jeans. They were somehow so much sexier than hakama. The way they seemed to barely cover him without ever showing a lick of skin. 

It was almost obscene. 

Byakuya had done something to his hair, too. He’d tied some of it back while letting a few long strands hang down in front of his face. There were complicated braids that almost perfectly mimicked the way the kenseikan worked, at least with his forelocks.

“Looking good there,” Renji smiled lasciviously. He secretly wished they could just stay in. Then they could spend the rest of the day undoing all of Byakuya’s careful work. But, he’d promised Byakuya a museum, so he pulled himself to his feet. “You ready to go?”

Byakuya nodded. “No subways. I don’t think I can cope.”

“Sunday should be less crowded in general, but a taxi is fine with me. You’re paying,” Renji said, walking beside Byakuya as they headed through the penthouse to the elevator. 

As they passed through the series of seemingly endless darkened rooms, Renji thought about what a waste it all was. Byakuya hadn’t used the kitchen or the conference room or half of these spaces. All they’d really needed was a bed. But, Renji supposed none of it was about what was ‘needed’ so much as what was expected for someone of Byakuya’s rank and status. 

Renji didn’t think he could ever understand it.

When they finally got to the elevator and slipped on their shoes, Renji shook his head at it all. “Were you serious about what you said to Eishirō?” he asked, “About me living with you?”

Byakuya waited patiently for the elevator. Giving Renji only a cursory glance, he said, “Of course.”

“What about all the fraternization allegations?” Renji asked. Once the elevator arrived, he let Byakuya go in first and followed after. “The Third Seat isn’t the only one we need to worry about. And if I’m not even pretending to be in my quarters, people will definitely talk.”

“I’ve given this some thought,” Byakuya said when the doors swooshed shut. “Lieutenant Shiba was married to his direct subordinate. Perhaps if we have some kind of similar legal arrangement, there would be less concern.”

This was the second time this weekend Byakuya had brought up something that sounded suspiciously… permanent. 

Renji shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned his shoulder against the elevator car wall. He glanced sidelong at where Byakuya stood, as usual, right in the center of the car, staring up at the numbers over the door that slowly counted down. 

But they couldn’t get married, could they? So, what was Byakuya asking for here?

“Is this about the adoption thing again?” Renji asked, “Because, I’ll be honest with you, I’m not really comfortable with being your—I don’t even know what? Brother?”

Of course, it would be kind of nice to be officially Rukia’s brother again. But Renji sure as shit wasn’t going to start calling Byakuya ‘nii-sama.’

“An adoption into the family is the only way I can be assured that you’ll inherit,” Byakuya said with a trace of irritation. It was clear he didn’t like hearing that Renji wasn’t super-excited to be a Kuchiki. “But, it can wait, and that’s not what I was thinking of in this case. There are contracts drawn between families who ally through marriage. Perhaps, we can arrange for something similar.”

Holy matrimony, Byakuya. He really _was_ talking about marriage. What the heck?

Renji stifled a laugh somewhat unsuccessfully. When Byakuya glanced up at him sharply, Renji tried to turn it into a cough. “Look, I don’t mean to scoff,” Renji apologized as Byakuya continued to frown at him. “It’s just that I always thought those things were about all about property and money and you know I don’t have any of that. All I got to my name is a couple of pairs of socks and Zabimaru, and only one of them’s worth anything—and he and I plan to check out together.”

“You do have that lovely cherry blossom robe,” Byakuya said dryly. 

Renji smiled, remembering Byakuya’s letter confessing that he’d been wearing Renji’s robe in his absence. “Okay, yeah, you’re right. Socks and a robe; I’m totally rich.”

“You are rather, but you’re missing the point,” Byakuya said tersely as he turned to glare at the elevator door. “The whole idea is so that you will have something of worth, a name if nothing else.” 

But, Renji had a name and a reputation all his own. If that wasn’t worth anything to anybody—well, then he hadn’t worked hard enough yet, had he? “What if I want to earn all that on my own?”

Byakuya glanced briefly at Renji again. “Is that why you continue to refuse? Pride?”

Just then the elevator stopped and a family stepped on. Renji pushed himself off the wall to stand closer to Byakuya. He knew he couldn’t say anything for a while. Not only would Byakuya not like having a private conversation overheard, but it also seemed to be Human World etiquette not to talk when there were other people in the elevator. 

It seemed strange to Renji that Byakuya couldn’t understand this. Pride was kind of the Kuchiki watch word. But, he supposed the Kuchiki were mostly proud of things they already had, previously established, not things they made themselves. They were about the establishment, not trails blazed.

A little girl clinging to her mother’s leg seemed unusually interested in them. Her eyes were wide and a little frightened. Renji wondered if she could tell they weren’t human. Then again, maybe it was just his hair and the tattoos on his neck. After all, her mom was giving him a little nervous once-over, too.

When the doors finally dinged, both Byakuya and Renji hung back, letting the family exit first.

They could talk again, but Renji still didn’t really have an answer for Byakuya, though. So, he trailed a bit behind as Byakuya strode purposely to the concierge desk. To the woman there, Byakuya said, “I’d like you to order us a taxi. We’re going to the sex museum.”

Both Renji and the female attendant behind the desk nearly choked at Byakuya’s casual request. The attendant said, “Uh… But, sir, that’s been abandoned.”

“I understand it’s still accessible, however.”

Byakuya had his ‘don’t question me, I am the captain’ voice on, and the attended sensed it. “Yes, sir,” the attendant said with a bright blush and bow so low she nearly smacked her head on the table. Then, she picked up the phone and turned away from them.

Renji leaned his elbow on the counter and slouched down so he could look up into Byakuya’s face. He really wanted to pull on one of those inky forelocks, but he resisted. Instead, he teased, “Sex museum? I thought you wanted boring art and history and stuff like that.”

“You thought wrong,” Byakuya said, clearly still irritated with Renji. “I was considering your interests as well as my own.”

Renji winced. Message received. He let out a long breath. “I’m sorry, all right? I just… I don’t get it, okay?” Renji glanced at the desk attendant and she still seemed distracted, so he continued in a low voice, “I mean, you and me, that’s a thing I want very much, but what you’re asking for, it’s not very me. I’ve never been a very settling down, playing house sort of guy.”

The front desk woman interrupted to tell them where to meet the taxi. After thanking her for her help, they left her to walk through the lobby toward the front door. They hadn’t gone far before Byakuya said, “I understand that, Renji, but it’s important to me that our relationship be respectable and proper.”

_Good luck with that, Kuchiki._ Renji thought, but didn’t say. It wasn’t like Byakuya didn’t know how hard it was going to be to get his family to accept Renji in any way shape or form. Kindly, Renji said, “This stuff you’re suggesting, the contract, the purification rite—all that—that’s going to make us a respectable couple?”

“I’m under no illusions about my family, Renji. There is very little about you they would approve of, though I do believe that many of these things I’ve suggested would mitigate the worst of it. However, at the moment, I’m thinking more about the Gotei. We need to find a way to operate within the bounds of propriety and still work together. It won’t work long-term to always send you into the field.”

“I could always take the captaincy test when I come back. I’m training like hell, and if we see more real action, I’ll have bankai under control. They offered the Fifth. I could take it. We’d be neighbors.” Renji said with a little smile to acknowledge that it wouldn’t be perfect, but it wasn’t such a bad option. They’d be equal rank. That might do a lot for their relationship. “You know, like Ukitake and Kyōraku.”

Byakuya’s face was pinched as he got into the taxi queue. “Yes, I suppose that’s the best strategy.”

From the disappointment in Byakuya’s tone Renji could sense he was missing something really important about this. Did Byakuya just want to be married because… because he wanted to be married?

Oh.

The thought floored Renji. Never in his entire life had he imagined being married to someone. Not even Rukia. Most of the time he and Rukia had been together it had been about survival. Then it had been Academy and concentrating on graduating. After that, it’d been about advancement. He didn’t think about marriage in the same way he never thought about retirement. It just didn’t seem like the sort of thing he’d ever have to deal with.

“So, you want to get… er, to be… official?” Renji finally managed, just as a taxi finally pulled up in front of them.

“It’s not entirely unheard of for noblemen to make this kind of alliance,” Byakuya said. “Even if no heir is needed, there can still be plenty of reasons to join houses in an official way.”

Okay, so that wasn’t exactly a clear answer, but it sounded suspiciously like a ‘yes.’ 

Renji reached around Byakuya to pull open the taxi door for him. Byakuya slid into the seat and Renji followed after. 

“Please take us to the sex museum,” Byakuya said. Pulling out a piece of paper from his jeans pocket, Byakuya rattled off an address.

“That’s a ways out,” The taxi driver pushed back he hat and laughed. “But I know it. I’ve taken people there before. You kids have a blog or something? Seems everyone wants to go take pictures of that strange place.”

“You don’t think there will be others there, do you?” Byakuya asked.

In the rearview, the taxi driver met Renji’s eyes and then seemed to notice the tattoos on his neck. “Are you boys up to mischief?”

_Listen to this guy _, Renji snorted. _Sounding like he’s our father when we were several times his age_. But after rolling his eyes in his best teenage impersonation, Renji said, “Nah, Old Man, we’re just hoping to score some outdoor fun, if you know what I’m saying?”__

When Renji winked broadly, the taxi driver slid the plastic window shut with a huff.

“Did you need to, Renji?” Byakuya sighed.

“It got him off our case, didn’t it?” Renji said. “Anyway, if you’re serious about this marriage thing, you might as well get used to me.”

Byakuya surprised Renji by putting a hand on his thigh and saying, “I am, in point of fact, quite used to you. That’s why I’m serious about this.”

Huh. Right.

Renji glanced at Byakuya’s hand on his thigh, and wondered why this idea was bothering him so much. After all, it had been Renji that had first talked about love, Renji who’d decided pretty quickly that it was he was all in, no matter what. Well, this was a ‘what,’ wasn’t it? What if Byakuya got some crazy ass idea in his head and suddenly wanted to be married?

Renji _was_ all in. 

If getting married was part of ‘in,’ then he’d do it.

“Yeah, okay,” Renji said, glancing out the window to watch the city rush by. He could see his own face as well as Byakuya’s reflected in the glass. The secret, almost joyous smile that fluttered across Byakuya’s face when he thought Renji couldn’t see him was worth any price. Fuck it, for another look like that, Renji would wear a goddamn white dress and heels.

“I’ll see what arrangements are needed,” Byakuya said in his normal, formal tone, but Renji thought he sensed a trace of giddiness. Okay, whatever it was about this, Byakuya really, truly was into it.

“Cool. I’ll work on not dying in the meantime,” Renji said with a crooked smile.

Byakuya looked a little taken aback, but then said, “Yes, be sure to do that. If you die, I swear I’ll demote you. Posthumously.”

“Wait, what? You can’t!”

“Ah, but I will,” Byakuya said with a little ‘got you there’ glare, “You may not fall. Remember that, Renji Abarai, or there will be consequences.”

**Author's Note:**

> Perhaps obviously, I got married last week. 
> 
> Minnesota became the 12th state in the United States to legalize gay marriage several month ago, and at the beginning of August the law went into effect. Last Monday, my partner and I of 27 years (yes, that long. It was December of 1985 when I met her, I'd JUST turned 18) "eloped." With our son, two friends as witnesses, and my parents in attendance, we got hitched by a district court judge (in the VERY same building where we'd adopted our son ten years earlier.) A lot of people are doing big ceremonies, but I'm a little like Renji--a bit freaked by the whole matrimony thing with all its weird cultural baggage. You may see me working out my feelings in this fic from time to time.... but I'll try not to make it too obvious.
> 
> So, sorry for the hiatus. Between my marriage and Renji's birthday, I got a little, shall we say, distracted. But I'm back now and I should be back to speed in no time!


End file.
